8
Upon entering, Adam let out a gasp of surprise at the sight of Katherine tied to the bed. He ran to her side, "Kit? Kit?" he said, stroking her hand, "what's wrong with her?" he demanded, tears in his eyes. Meanwhile, Draco was squeezing Ginny's hand so tightly that Ginny feared he would break the bones, but she wasn't about to make him let go. While Ginny expected both of these reactions, she did not expect to see strict, mean Professor Snape practically collapse in a chair and bury his head in his hands. Ginny knew, that even if Draco hadn't guessed, that Snape had. Snape knew perfectly well what was believed to have happened to Katherine, and what the consequences would be.
Dumbledore placed one hand on Snape's shoulder, but turned to Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy, would you please give us a moment," he asked.
Madam Pomfrey was looking very confused indeed, but merely nodded at Dumbledore and left the room.
Dumbledore surveyed the room, then turned to look at Snape, "Severus, hear me out," he said, then looked in Adam and Draco's direction, "all of you need to hear me out."
Snape looked at Dumbledore and Ginny was shocked to see tears in his eyes. "Is that the effects of what I think it is?" he asked softly, and if possible, Ginny felt Draco's hand squeeze hers even tighter. Looking up at him, she knew he, too, had guessed as to what Katherine might be suffering from. "No, no, it can't be," he muttered, and abruptly ran from the room.
"Draco!" Adam said, but Draco was gone. Snape ran to the door as if to follow Draco and once again Ginny wondered what his connection could be in all this.
"Severus, wait. Let him go, you can't continue to protect him from everything, Severus, as much as you want to," Dumbledore said, and now Ginny really didn't know what was going on.
Snape turned to Dumbledore, "Why not, I've been doing it his whole life. Why am I not allowed to protect him?" he asked, but Ginny knew from the tone in his voice that he really knew why, but only he didn't want to accept it.
"He's not your son, Severus," Dumbledore said softly.
Snape looked at Dumbledore sharply, his eyes flashing, "You think I don't know that. Was it you who had to clean his cuts when he was little because his father beat him and his mother was too scared to stop it? Was it you who had to try and explain to a 4 year old why his father was mean? No, that was me, and not only did I have to try to explain it to him, but to her as well. Did you have to look at you daughter and tell her that there was nothing you could do to stop the torture of her best friend?" Snape commanded, sinking back into his chair, defeated, the fire gone from his eyes.
Ginny felt tears in her eyes, so that was his connection. Katherine was his daughter. No wonder he was so worried about her. As surprising as the news was, Ginny didn't find herself all that surprised. She had almost expected it. Dumbledore placed his hand back on Snape's shoulder, "Severus," he whispered, "no it was not me, and I do not envy what you had to do, but, don't you realize how what he went through has helped him in the long run. Thanks to you, Katherine, and indeed his father himself, Mr. Malfoy will no longer be a servant to Lord Voldemort. Don't you think that's worth something?"
Snape didn't answer that question, but did look back up at Dumbledore, "I'm more of a father to him than his father is." he stated, then looked back at Katherine, "Please tell me it's not what I think it is?"
Adam, like Ginny, had remained quiet, but now he turned back to Dumbledore, "Sir, what's wrong with her?" he asked.
Dumbledore looked at Adam gravely, then back down at Snape. "Severus, it may very well be, but not necessarily. Katherine could very well have had a muggle reaction to her injuries. We will not know until tomorrow," he said, and Ginny noticed Snape relax, but only slightly. He turned to her, "Miss Weasley, perhaps while we explain to Adam what exactly is going on, you could go and find Mr. Malfoy. He needs to know that not all is lost. Tell him she may not be gone," he said to her, and Ginny could tell that this was something he wanted to do himself, but could not.
Ginny nodded, and with a quick glance at Dumbledore, who also nodded, Ginny fled from the room. Even from down the hall, she could hear Adam's shouting and strangled cries from the room, and knew that he, too, now knew just what the worst case could mean to Katherine.
Upon entering, Adam let out a gasp of surprise at the sight of Katherine tied to the bed. He ran to her side, "Kit? Kit?" he said, stroking her hand, "what's wrong with her?" he demanded, tears in his eyes. Meanwhile, Draco was squeezing Ginny's hand so tightly that Ginny feared he would break the bones, but she wasn't about to make him let go. While Ginny expected both of these reactions, she did not expect to see strict, mean Professor Snape practically collapse in a chair and bury his head in his hands. Ginny knew, that even if Draco hadn't guessed, that Snape had. Snape knew perfectly well what was believed to have happened to Katherine, and what the consequences would be.
Dumbledore placed one hand on Snape's shoulder, but turned to Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy, would you please give us a moment," he asked.
Madam Pomfrey was looking very confused indeed, but merely nodded at Dumbledore and left the room.
Dumbledore surveyed the room, then turned to look at Snape, "Severus, hear me out," he said, then looked in Adam and Draco's direction, "all of you need to hear me out."
Snape looked at Dumbledore and Ginny was shocked to see tears in his eyes. "Is that the effects of what I think it is?" he asked softly, and if possible, Ginny felt Draco's hand squeeze hers even tighter. Looking up at him, she knew he, too, had guessed as to what Katherine might be suffering from. "No, no, it can't be," he muttered, and abruptly ran from the room.
"Draco!" Adam said, but Draco was gone. Snape ran to the door as if to follow Draco and once again Ginny wondered what his connection could be in all this.
"Severus, wait. Let him go, you can't continue to protect him from everything, Severus, as much as you want to," Dumbledore said, and now Ginny really didn't know what was going on.
Snape turned to Dumbledore, "Why not, I've been doing it his whole life. Why am I not allowed to protect him?" he asked, but Ginny knew from the tone in his voice that he really knew why, but only he didn't want to accept it.
"He's not your son, Severus," Dumbledore said softly.
Snape looked at Dumbledore sharply, his eyes flashing, "You think I don't know that. Was it you who had to clean his cuts when he was little because his father beat him and his mother was too scared to stop it? Was it you who had to try and explain to a 4 year old why his father was mean? No, that was me, and not only did I have to try to explain it to him, but to her as well. Did you have to look at you daughter and tell her that there was nothing you could do to stop the torture of her best friend?" Snape commanded, sinking back into his chair, defeated, the fire gone from his eyes.
Ginny felt tears in her eyes, so that was his connection. Katherine was his daughter. No wonder he was so worried about her. As surprising as the news was, Ginny didn't find herself all that surprised. She had almost expected it. Dumbledore placed his hand back on Snape's shoulder, "Severus," he whispered, "no it was not me, and I do not envy what you had to do, but, don't you realize how what he went through has helped him in the long run. Thanks to you, Katherine, and indeed his father himself, Mr. Malfoy will no longer be a servant to Lord Voldemort. Don't you think that's worth something?"
Snape didn't answer that question, but did look back up at Dumbledore, "I'm more of a father to him than his father is." he stated, then looked back at Katherine, "Please tell me it's not what I think it is?"
Adam, like Ginny, had remained quiet, but now he turned back to Dumbledore, "Sir, what's wrong with her?" he asked.
Dumbledore looked at Adam gravely, then back down at Snape. "Severus, it may very well be, but not necessarily. Katherine could very well have had a muggle reaction to her injuries. We will not know until tomorrow," he said, and Ginny noticed Snape relax, but only slightly. He turned to her, "Miss Weasley, perhaps while we explain to Adam what exactly is going on, you could go and find Mr. Malfoy. He needs to know that not all is lost. Tell him she may not be gone," he said to her, and Ginny could tell that this was something he wanted to do himself, but could not.
Ginny nodded, and with a quick glance at Dumbledore, who also nodded, Ginny fled from the room. Even from down the hall, she could hear Adam's shouting and strangled cries from the room, and knew that he, too, now knew just what the worst case could mean to Katherine.
